Create Animation and Movies with PowerPoint

To create engaging animations or movies using Microsoft PowerPoint, follow these straightforward steps.

Getting Started

1. Open PowerPoint. Double-click the PowerPoint app icon, which resembles a white “P” on an orange background.

   • Alternatively, you can launch PowerPoint by typing “powerpoint” into Start {#7c19c1c85d3d6d30fd7ffffbac0b485f .whcdn} (Windows) or Spotlight {#a9cafd0c2fe776ac8590757bc474251a .whcdn} (Mac), then clicking or double-clicking PowerPoint.
   • If you wish to open an existing PowerPoint file, double-click the file directly and skip the next step.

2. Click “Blank Presentation”. This option is located in the top-left corner of the PowerPoint window, and it will open a new blank presentation.

Adding Content

3. Add images and text. To include items in your PowerPoint slide:
   • Images — Click Insert, select Pictures, choose a photo, and click Insert.
   • Text — Click Insert, choose Text Box, click and drag to create the text box area, and enter your text.

Animating Your Content

4. Select an item to animate. Click on the image or text that you want to animate.

5. Click the “Animations” tab. You will find this tab at the top of the PowerPoint window, opening the Animations toolbar.

6. Select an animation. In the “Animation” window that appears in the middle of the toolbar, scroll through the available animations and click one to apply it.

7. Change the animation’s specific options. With the animation selected, click Effect Options to adjust specific settings in the menu that appears. The options available will depend on the animation you have chosen.

   • If the selected animation does not have available options, Effect Options will be greyed out.
   • For instance, animations like “Fly In” can be modified to enter from different sides of the slide.

8. Add an animation track. To make an item move along a specific path:

   • Select the item you want to animate.
   • Click Add Animation.
   • Scroll down and select one of the “Motion Paths” options.
   • Click OK.
   • You can reposition the path by dragging the line or adjusting the points on it.

9. Add animations to other items. Repeat the animation process for all other items on your slide.

Reviewing and Adjusting Animations

10. Review your animations’ order. Each animated item will have a number to its left indicating the order of animations. For example, 1 refers to the first item to animate.

    • Click a number to demonstrate the corresponding animation.
    • Change an animation by clicking the number next to an animated item and selecting a new animation.

11. Adjust an animation’s timing. Select an animated item, then modify the numbers in the “Duration” and/or “Delay” text boxes in the upper-right corner.

    • The “Duration” box controls how long the animation lasts, while the “Delay” box sets the time between the trigger and the start of the animation.
    • To change what triggers the animation, use the “Start” drop-down menu to select On Click, With Previous, or After Previous.

12. Reorder your animations if necessary. Click the animation you wish to reposition, then use Move Earlier or Move Later found in the far-right side of the toolbar.

13. Copy an animation onto another item. Select the animation you want to copy, click Animation Painter located in the upper-right side of the page, and then click the item to which you want to apply the animation.

    • If the Animation Painter button is unavailable, ensure you have fully selected an animated item first.

14. Add an exit animation. To remove an item from the slide without transitioning to another slide, select the item, then scroll down to the red “Exit” animations section and choose your preferred exit animation.

15. Save your animation as a video. To create an MP4 version of your PowerPoint slides:

    • Windows — Click File, select the Export tab, click Create Video, enter a file name, select a save location, and click Save.
    • Mac — Click File, then Save As Movie…, enter a file name, select a save location, and click Save.

Additional Tips

• Save your PowerPoint presentation by pressing Ctrl+S (Windows) or ⌘ Command+S (Mac) and provide the file details if you began with a blank presentation.
• To incorporate audio into your presentation, click the Insert tab, select Audio, choose a file from your computer, and click to add it. You can also opt to record narration using your computer’s microphone by selecting the Record option after clicking Audio.
• It’s advisable to preview your presentation in slideshow mode before finalizing it. Click the “Slideshow” icon in the lower-right corner and press the right arrow key to trigger each animation during the preview.